


Ready as I'll Ever Be

by SmittenVixen13



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Akumatized Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Angst, F/M, Song Inspired
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-23
Updated: 2020-01-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:42:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22373548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmittenVixen13/pseuds/SmittenVixen13
Summary: Marinette, now the newly formed Athena, plans to battle against Chat Noir and Ladybug if it means she could right the wrongs Adrien's advice gave her. The high road only works in some situations, not all.
Comments: 12
Kudos: 273





	Ready as I'll Ever Be

The air was stifling, the roar of the storm above billowing around them as Mari-no, as _Athena_ faced the storm, silvered eyes cast across the horizon in search for the superhero pair. Alya flinched as lightening kissed down to the ground, striking it down as Athena waved the sword in her hand around, is if indicating how the lightening should strike. She didn’t even _know_ what caused this to happen, only that Lila went out to go check on their distraught class rep after they had seen her arguing with _Adrien_. Adrien of all people!  
  
  
And now there was poor Lila, bound to a golden throne with words traced all over it, running all over the metal over and over again until you could read nothing on it! Only look upon the engravings and wonder what each word said.  
  
  
“Marinette! Please, snap out of it, what happened?” What happened between them? What caused Marinette to finally be akumatized? “Come on, girl, talk to me.” Alya pleaded, pressing a hand to the dome where Athena kept her and Lila.  
  
  
Those silver eyes swung over to her, narrowing upon the reporter as the Akuma’s leather skirts flared out in the about face, heavy boots walking her to the other girl, “I am Athena, Alya, I’m no longer that weaker form!”  
  
  
“Alya! Please! Help me! She’ll hurt me!” Lila cries, struggling against the golden ropes holding her down.  
  
  
“Silence!” Athena roared at the bound student, lips pulled back into a snarl, the storm growling with the Akuma, darkening the skies further. “You are not my target, Lila, descendant of Apate, but speak again and I will not fear using my blade on you.” The silver blade that had sat idly in her loose hold was now pointed at Lila’s throat, the tip close to touching her skin.  
  
  
“Athena,” Alya’s tone was gentler, coaxing, eyes pleading to her best friend to step away from the other girl and listen to her; the Akuma turned to her with less hostility in her position, eyes curious, “please, tell me what happened. You don’t need to do this….”  
  
  
Sighing, as if she were dealing with a child, Athena presses a hand towards the barrier, stepping out of it and back into the storm, “The one you know as Adrien has angered me for the last time with his speak of justice. You and Ladybug said it correctly, my friend, ‘All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing’, and he did **nothing**.” Thunder boomed at those words, shaking the very ground. “Perhaps my word alone would not sway you to the truth, my actions have not always been for the best,” she admitted, especially since even the court of law needed multiple pieces of evidence to prove a case, “but he chose not to bring the truth out as well.”  
  
  
Eyes narrowing, she pulled away from the barrier, eyes trained once more on the horizon, “And now he will _pay_ for allowing her to sit upon her throne of lies. I cannot be angry at her, for all she knows is how to lie; you cannot blame a snake for biting you, but you _can_ blame the one who saw no reason to put the poisonous viper away. He saw it harmed our friendships, saw your faith in my word be diminished, and I cannot condone such acts any longer. He may have ran, but with Ladybug and Chat Noir defeated, he will have nowhere to run.”  
  
  
The storm rumbled, waiting, watching, as the Akuma seemed almost pleased with herself, “Any moment now your highness,” She smirks back towards Lila, eyes glittering with triumph, before the smirk died at the sight of Alya, “believe me I know, I’ve sunk pretty low,” her fists tightened, rage eating at her, “but whatever I’ve done you deserved.”  
  
  
“Marinette!”  
  
  
“Quiet!” She barks, her armor-clad body stilling in anger. “I’m the bad guy that’s fine,” she shrugs, watching the horizon, “but it’s no fault of mine, and some justice at last will be served!” There, just out of full view, a black silhouette could be seen.  
  
  
Maybe she could distract her? “Please listen!”  
  
  
But Athena was too focused on her opponent to come, thunder and lightening singing through the air in thunderous roars of a battle to come, “Now its time to step up, or it’s time to back down and there’s only one answer for me!” Her snarl drew back her lips, silver darkening as a purple outline appeared over her face, “And I’ll stand up and fight cause I know that I’m right! And I’m ready,” the hold she had on her blade tightened, “I’m ready,” she almost looked like Xena or Wonder Woman in her whole outfit, “I’m ready, ready as I’ll ever be….”  
  
  
  
Athena looked over her shoulder to Alya, “You’ve ignored me too long but I followed along, hoping one day you’d finally see,” each word filled with nothing but hurt.  
  
  
  
The outline was approaching, becoming more clear as Chat Noir made their way to them, but Athena glared at Lila, her stony expression turning sinister as Hawkmoth whispered in her best-friend’s ear, “You can laugh but it’s fine, cause the last laugh is mine,” she turns her eyes to Alya, that smirk remaining, “when you finally listen to me!”  
  
  
  
Lightning struck down at her side, the air thickening with electricity, “Now it’s time to rise up, or it’s time to back down,” there was no way she was backing down, not with how ready for a fight she looked, “and the answer is easy to see! And I swear by her sword,” the blade shone, markings glittering on it, a quick reflection of light showing a ladybug, “I will not be ignored, are you ready?” She smirks to Alya, “I’m ready,” she faced back to where he was coming from, seemingly distracted by his communicator, “I’m ready,” her boots clicked along the rooftop, “ready as I’ll ever be.”  
  
  
  
Chat Noir finally touched down, Alya watching as he bounced his gaze from Marinette to her to Lila. “N-Now come on, Purrincess, let’s just talk. Like we always do.”  
  
  
  
Athena’s eyes narrowed on him, “I never wanted to do this,” she had been strong for so long, so long ignoring butterflies and each temptation to give into that pompous villain. Her eyes narrowed on the hero, “But I’ll do it if it guarantees that you will hear me,” She rose her blade to the sky before pointing it towards him, a cry from Alya to _move_ got him to avoid the lightning strike, “someday you’ll thank me.”  
  
  
  
She could do nothing but watch as Chat Noir charged, not waiting for Ladybug as he took on Marinette. Sure Chat was an expert with his baton, but seemed Marinette had been hiding her skills with a sword.  
  
  
  
“I’ll save my home and family,” each Akuma was akumatized for something, and if Marinette thought that Adrien and Lila were threats to what she wanted, then there was no stopping her. “And I’m ready,” metal on metal sang together, clashing as violently as the lightning above them, “I’m ready,” her boot made contact with his chest, sending him reeling back, “I’m ready,” her elbow made contact while he was distracted, eerie smirk on her stony face, “ready as I’ll ever **be**.”  
  
No one would keep a Goddess from protecting what was hers.

**Author's Note:**

> Two in one night! I got this sweet thing going by being inspired by this ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StJCGhOMRN8 ) song and talking with Lenore about ideas of an Akumatized Marinette! Because Marinette would want to protect her friends and family, even if she became a slave for that pompous moth.


End file.
